Condenser support



Feb. 23 1926L1 1,573,792

R. w. ALLERTON CONDENSER SUPPORT Filed April 8, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l Svwmtoz MMM @am Feb. 23 1926. 1,573,792

R. W. AITLERTON CONDENSER SUPPORT Filed April 8, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 9 p Patented Feb. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES l 1,573,792 PATENTOFFICE.

ROBERT W. ALLERTON, 0F SOUTH ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WORTHING- TON PUMP AND MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION or VIRGINIA,

Application led April 8, 1924.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT W. ALLERTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Grange, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Condenser Supports, fully described and represented in the following speciiication and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to improvements in condenser installations, and particularly to installations of that type using large condensers with steam turbines.

In installations of this kind, the condenser is usually positioned below the engine, with a rigid connection between the turbine exhaust and the condenser inlet. .Yielding supports, usually springs, have therefore been used for supporting the condenser so that it may yield or expand downwardly with relatively light changes in the forces acting upon. it, thus relieving the exhaust conduit of the turbine of such stresses as might cause misalm'ement of the turbine shaft or rotor. In some cases, expansion Joints are used on the exhaust inlet, instead of a rigid connection.

Itis the purpose of the present invention to provide a novel arrangement wherein a set -of hyraulic jacks may be conveniently utilized in connection with temporary condenser supporting means, for the purpose of initially and properly adjusting the spring supports, and for testing and removing them. Thus, a set of hyraulic jacks provided with pressure gauges may be temporarily used with the condensers at any time for testing the springs of the supporting units without interfering with the operation of the condensers, and thus enable accurate tests to be made under all conditions of use to determine if each of lthe spring supporting units is properly supporting itsshare of the load. This feature of the invention -makes Lit-.unnecessary to rely upon estimates or 'other calculations as to they loads which are being carried by such units,'not only after 'initial compression ofthe" springs, butalso when the condensers' 'are subjected to temperature changes due to full load thereon and when the turbineis in regular operation. For a full understanding of the invention, a detailed description of a turbine installation embodying all the features of the invention in' a preferred form will now be CONDENSER SUPPORT.

Serial No. 704,914.

given inconnection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and the features forming the invention will then be specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a turbine installation including condenser supporting means and a base to which thevpresent invention maybe applied;

Figure 2 is a lfront elevation, looking to the right in Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section of one of the supporting units in operative position;

-Figure 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, show- Jing a similar unit with the springs absent;

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, and

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of the piping system for supplying pressure fluid to the hydraulic jacks.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the turbine installation shown by Way of example is of the usual form, in which the turbine A is provided with a bott-om exhaust conduit having a lange 10 which is connected directly to a flange 11 on the top of the exhaust inlet of a suitable condenser B, preferably of the surface type, having the usual hot well and other` connections (not shown).

For the purpose of illustration, four spring supporting units for the condenser B are shown. Each of these unitsis positioned on and arrangedto co-operate with abcd-plate 12, secured in any suitable manner to concrete piers or other suitable base indicated generally at 13, one of such bedplates beingpositionedbelow each of the condenserfeet 14. In order to more satisfactorily carry out, the present arrangement and also to provide a low condenser supporting construction, the bed-plates 12 are channelled, as indicated at 15. Jac-ks 100 ing or repairing the installation as hereinafter described. The jack casings are pref- 105 erably provided with ianges. or ears 17 arranged to rest on the edges of the channels 15. rIhe means for mounting and holding the supporting springs comprises a separate movable member such, for ex- M0 ample, as plate 18, provided with detachable uprights 19 at theends thereof preferably being provided which are arranged to rest on the bed-plates 12 when the parts have been'satisfactorily adjusted and the jacks removed. In Ythe present instance, four springs 2O are provided for each of the supporting units, pins 21 mounted on the plates 18 acting to hold the `springs against displacement during compression.

In erecting the construction above' described, the feet 14: of the condenser B are first positioned over the bed-plates 12. The jacks are then slid into the channels 15, connected up to a suitable source of pressure supply, and the condenserlraised until the liange 11 on its inlet is in contact with and connected to the iiange 10 of the turbine exhaust conduit. Spacing members 22 (Fig. 4;) may then be inserted and secured in position by screws 22a. The jack plungers are vthen lowered and the plates 18 with thel springs 20 positioned thereon positioned over the tops of the jack plungers, whichv latter are then again raised until the springs 20 are. subjected to the -full load of the condenser `dead weight. The temporary support or spacing members 22 may then .be

. removed and uprights 19 of proper height secured to the plates 18 by screws .19 or otherwise. The height of such uprights should be such that practically the same compression of the springs will be maintained when the jacks are removed. Pressure gages 1 on the jacks may then be referred to for determining whether each of the spring supporting units is carrying its proper share of the load. The jack plungers may thenA be lowered and the jacks withdrawn for use on other condensers for similar testing or installation purposes, or for -inspection and repair ofA the jack cupleathers. Lock nuts` 23, having threaded engagement with the jack plungers, are pro.- vided, which may be screwed ldown against the jack casings' when the jacks are positioned to support the condenser, as showny in Fig.V 3, so as to thus support the jack plungers independently of the fluid pressure.

After the condenser su porting parts have been satisfactorilyadjusted, and the jacks have been removed, the jacks may be re-installed or used for installing other condensers as desired. If to be used for testing purposes, the jacks after bein slid into position are connected up with't eir pressure connections and thelplates 18 thereby raised until the uprights 19 are off o f the T e'v pressure gauges 1 on4 'the Jacks willthen disclose the pressure imposed on each `of thejacks, so that if a spring-supporting unit, after initial Acom,- pression or lonfr continued use, has wealtened. this will be indicated andthe weakened sprin s may be replaced. -In replacing a set o springs, the uprights 19 of such unit, are first removed, the spacing members 22 inserted and secured in position as above described, and the jack plunger then lowered. Plate 18 with the springs 16 thereon may then be readily removed, new springs positioned thereon., and the plate 18 returnedto position and raised in the same manner as above described in installing the parts.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, the pressure connections for controlling all the jacks sin'iultaneously or separately consist of pipes 2 connected to each of the jacks. The pressure gauges 1 above referred to are located in such connections 2 intermediate the jack casings and stop cocks 3. It will thus be seen that pressure Huid may be supplied to only one or more or all of the jacks simultaneously, according to, requirements. All of the connections 2 are supplied vfrom a connection 4 communicating with any suitable source of supply, such, for example, as a pump indicated generally at 5. Thus,- asthe gravitational force imposed on the springs varies after their initial compression or under full load operating conditions, the counteracting pressure of such springs may be readily checked by the use of the gauges 1 and quick determination made as to whether one or more or all of the springs is slatisfactorily bearing its o r their pr'oper It will be understood that various changes may be resorted to in the construction and arranofement of parts herein shown and describe -while still retaining the invention defin dby the claims.

WV lat is claimed is:

1. The combination with a condenser, its base, and spring supporting units for said condenser, of separate movable members on which the respective units are mounted, andl a jack for each unit including pressure indicating mechanism arranged to co-operate condenser, of separate movable members pn which the respective units are mounted, a fiuid pressure operated jack for I@ach unit including pressure indicating mechanism. ar-

ranged to co-o erate with sald 4base and said movable linem ers 'for indicating the pressure Aimposed on the separate units, and means for supporting the movable members when the jacks are removed.

3. The combination with a condenser, its base, and yielding supports lfor said' con-I denser, of fluid pressure jacks removabtly positioned between said base and said yiel ing-supports' andv arranged v'to support the]v latter, and spacing members arranged to be inserted between said base and said condenser for supporting the latter independently of said yielding supports and jacks.

5 4. rl`he combination with a condenser, its

base, .and yielding supports for said condenser, of a plurality of movable members on which said yielding supports are mounted, removable iuid pressure jacks inter- 10 posed between said movable members and said base, temporary supporting members arranged to co-operate With said base and said condenser to support the latter independently of the yielding supports and said my band.

ROBERT W. ALLERTON. 

